Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-11-19
TIE WAR IN DIXIE.
A CONFEDERATE COLONEL GIVES
SOME WAR TIME EXPERIENCES.

A Burnt Offering of Surplus Baggaco.
Novel Methods of Preparing a Dinner.
Primitive Spring Bed-An Icy Couch.
A Professionalism.
In the spring OF 1862 our patres con-
script had evidently become convinced
that the contest was likely to be both seri-
Gus and long, and volunteers for three
years or the war were called for. Soon
after this | was at Corinth, Miss, as cap
tain OF a company in the Thirty-eighth
Mississippi regiment. had provided N.Y.
self with an ample supply Of bedding, in
GLIDING a mattress, and took along a trunk
containing some elegant citizens clothing
for dress or social occasions. One day our
quartermaster requested us to send all
baggage TO the depot for Convenience Of
transportation in case Of retreat This
was thoughtful OF him and i felt grateful,
but not for long. In q few hours it trans
pred that our luggage was not to be
Checked through, but was to be burned.
1t began to dawn upon me that / had been
somewhat stupid in my military prepara-
tons, but when | rushed off to the depot
found several acres of similar impedi-
ments piled up for a burnt Offering / felt
somewhat relieved. 1t was clear that my
bars were no longer han my n%eighbors'.
That night Corinth was evacuated. The
measles, a disease very fatal to soldiers,
had already appeared in camp and the ex-
posture or this retreat resulted in the death
OF ffty-nine men in my company of 1870.
The regiment had been hurried to the
front before submitting to the hardening
process OF a camp of instruction, through
the ambitious vanity of its colonel, who
was in haste to win a b~rigadier's wreath.
1t occasioned no surprise that the lean
Jack Falstaf ran away from our first
serious fight at Iuka and we saw him no
more. On this retreat a feat was per-
formed in a culinary way that could not
be excelled. Being separated from our
trains and having little knowledge Of the
need Of being always prepared for sudden
movements, there was neither pot nor pan
TO be found in the company.
In spite Of these minor difficulties I
dined one day, by invitation, and, rs 7
thought at the time, luxul iously, of Of
hot loaf bread and butter and broiled
tenderloin steak. Dinner was prepared
In this way: A pit was dug some twenty
inches square and one foot deep with a
shoulder half ways down. In this pit dry
oak twigs were burned to embers. A
clean handkerchief well Toured answered
for a tray and the loaf, when kneaded,
was placed in the pit. This was covered
with bark and earth and the oven was
perfect and complete. When the bread
was done other sticks were made to do
duty as a griddle, and with the help Of a
few necessities obtained from a farm
house the steak was broiled and seasoned
TO a turn.
A PRIMITIVE SPRING BED
After the burnt Offering mentioned
trunks and mattresses disappeared and,
most generally, tents were an unknown
luxury TO the private soldier in the field
Here again necessity spurred on invention
and a sort OF liliputian tent was the re-
suit. Four stakes about two feet long,
with forks for cross pieces, were driven in
the ground. On these a platform was
made by laying poles lengthwise, thus
making n spring bed of no mean preten-
sions About three feet above this was q
ridge pole, across which a rubber or
wooden blanket was stretched tent fash
ion. A blanket laid on the platform, ana
another for covering formed the tempo
rary couch Of two men. They entered on
all fours ut the end, as q rat enters hi,
hole, but, unlike the rat, they did not
turn round TO come out. This pretentious
style of housekeeping was only resorted
TO in wet weather. Strict economy in the
matter of labor was the rule among SOL
diers, and the earth for a couch and the
sky for n covering sufficed in most cases.
/ never knew one Of these platforms made
to avoid sleeping on the frozen ground.
The soldier would spread his blanket and
lie down until his underside fraternized
with the ice, when he would growl and
turn over and freeze the other side while
the first thawed out, and SO on IL ougE
the night.
/ well remember n fellow, a fine SOL
der, too, who scorned the burden of even
q blanket on the march, and SO at night,
when he failed to steal one (Which was
seldom), he sat up by a fire and made
night hideous with mock sermons Of WON
derful theology and doubtful morality.
Strange to say, he survived the war, and
Is now enlisted in the army Of the Lord.
At Vicksburg this same preacher was re-
sponsible for a ready retort under trying
circumstances He was then a firm Cal
whist, and was always ready to do battle
In defense of his creed. One day he was
sitting, with a group, In an angle Of the
works, discussing his f~avorite dogma of
predestination. Just then a shell explod-
ed and knocked the professionalism over
without hurting him. When he recov-
cred his breath and legs he darted Off for
the shelter of a traverse just in 'front.' Of
US. His antagonist yelled at and twitted
him with his want Of faith in his own doc
trine. He did not pause in the order Of
his going, but suffered back: "Ca Gu
can't stop; it's pre-pre-pre-destined that I
must get on the other side of the ira
traversel'' and he fulfilled the decree TO
the letter and with c~ommendable alacrity.
Ext Confederate Col. J. Ii. Jones In
Philadelphia Times.